The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1887-08-18
AN APPALLING RAILROAD DISASTER
AN EXCURSION TRAIN DROPS
THROUGH A BURNING BRIDGE.
Over 100 Persons Killed and 400 Seri-
ousIy Injured-Heartrend ndinS Scenes
and Incidents-A Horrible Sus-
acknowledgements Rob the
Dead and Dying

CHICAGO, August ia special
to the Chicago Times from Forest,
ILL.,, says:
All the railway horrors in the his
tory of this country were surpassed
three miles east OF Chattsworth last
night, when an excursion train on
the Toledo, Peoria and Western Rail
road dropped through a burning
bridge and over one hundred people
were killed and four times that num-
Der more or less badly injured. The
train was composed of six sleeping
cars, six dey coaches and chair cars
and three baggage cars. 1t was
carrying $50 passengers, all excur-
sionists and Was bound for Niagara
Fails. The train had been made up
all along the line of the Toledo, Peo-
ria and Western Railroad, and the
excursionists hailed from various
poin.s in central Illinois, the bulk Of
them, however, coming from Peoria.
Some Of the passengers came from
Canton, El Passo, Washington, and
in fact all stations along the line,
and some came from as far West as
Burlington and Keokuk. A special
and cheap rate had been made for
the excursion, and all sorts Of people
took advantage of it. When the
train drew out Of Peoria at 8 O'Clock
last evening it was loaded to its ut
most capacity. Every berth in the
six sleepers was taken, and the day
cars carried sixty people each. The
train was so heavy that two engines
were hitched to it, and when it passed
this place it Was an hour and half
behind.
Chattsworth, the next station east
CT here, is six miles off, and the run
there was made in seven minutes.
so the terrible momentum of these
fifteen coaches and two engines,
shooting through space at the rate OF
q mile q minute, is understood. No
stop was made at Chattsworth, and
on and on the heavy train, with its
living freight, sped through the dark
ness os che night.
Three miles Of Chattsworth is
little slough, and where the railroad
crosses dry run about ten feet deep
and fifteen feet wide. Over this was
stretched an ordinary wooden trestle
bridge, and as the excursion train
came laundering 90 WHAT
was the hsfror of the engineer on the
front engine when be saw tina! the
bridge was burning. Right up before
his eyes leaped the bright flames, and
the next instant he was among them.
There was no chance to stop. Had
there been any warning it would have
taken half mile to stop, and the
train was within 100 yards of the red
tongued messengers of death before
they flashed their fatal signals into
the engineers face. But he went
over in safety, the first engine keep
ing the rails. AS it went over, the
bridge fell beneath it, and it could
only have been the terrific speed of
the train that saved the lives of en-
gineer and fireman. But the next
engine went down, and instantly
THE DEED OF DEATH WAS DONE.
Car crashed into car, coaches piled
one on top Of another, and in the
twinkling of an eye nearly one hun
-dred people found instant death and
fifty more were so hurt that they
could not live. As for the wounded,
they were everywhere. Only the
sleeping coaches escaped, and as the
startled and hslf.dressed passengers
csne tumbliny out Of item they
found such 8 scene Of death as is
rarely with, ssed, and such work to
do that it seemed as human hands
were utterly incapable. 1t lacked
but five minutes of midnight. Down
in the ditch lay second engineer Nc
Clintock dead, and fireman Apple.
gate badly injured. On top we're
piled three baggage cars, one on top
of another, like child's csrd house
after he had swept it with his hand.
Then came six day coaches. They
were telescoped as cars never were
before, and three of them were
pressed into just space enough for
one. The second car had mounted
OF its trucks, crashed through the
car ahead Of it, crushing the wood
aside like tinder, and lay there, rest
ing on top Of the seats. while every
passenger in the front car was laying
DEAD OR DYING
underneath. Out of that car but four
people came alive. On top of the
second car lay the tn 2and although